SUMMARY
The Fund demonstrated its resilience, returning -0.2%, during another volatile month. By way of comparison, the RBA cash rate plus 6% returned approximately 0.7%, while the All Ordinaries Accumulation Index fell -2.5%.
We remain focused on our objective of capital preservation while generating a fair return for equity risk. Whilst parts of the market remain expensive, the broad weakness this month provided some opportunities to add to positions, reducing our cash from 12% to 10%.







COMMENTARY
There was no easing into year-end for equity markets, with November delivering a combination of hotter-than-expected inflation data, a flurry of AGM updates, and a re-thinking of the real economics of AI.
Australian inflation surprised to the upside at 3.8% for October. An investor fueled property market is creating a wealth effect that’s pushing services inflation higher. It also shows that, while wages growth may be peaking, the underlying labour market remains relatively tight. For stock pickers, the message is clear: real pricing power remains the only reliable defence against stubborn core inflation. This is what attracts us to businesses such as Telstra, ResMed, IAG and Amcor, where durable pricing strength can stay ahead of the cost pressures.
November will also be remembered for sharp sell-offs in Life360 and Temple & Webster, companies that delivered perfectly respectable results yet experienced wild share price reactions. With limited fundamental support for valuations, even minor disappointments were punished. More broadly, the IT sector fell 12% as investors started asking, seemingly for the first time, whether AI may, in fact, add to cost pressures or erode competitive moats, rather than being a universal good.
Portfolio activity saw us adding to Aristocrat, where the stock fell 8% despite beating market expectations by 2% (albeit with a different earnings mix). The shift in interest-rate expectations weighed on REITs, providing an opportunity to rebuild positions in Stockland and Mirvac. On the sell side, we continued to trim Evolution Mining, Telstra and NAB into relative strength.
Positive attribution for the month was driven by Ramsay Healthcare, which delivered a strong 1Q in its core Australian operations alongside increasing confidence around the sale of its French assets. The defensive qualities of Evolution Mining and Amcor also contributed positively. Detractors included Accent Group, NAB and Aristocrat.
Our disciplined focus on high-quality businesses, run by capable management teams and generating cash flows that offer a fair return, continues to serve investors well. We remain committed to resisting the temptation to let index weightings or short-term earnings noise drive portfolio decisions. Instead, we will adhere to our absolute-return philosophy, ensuring capital is deployed only where we believe the risk-adjusted return is compelling.